Linda Strup has a long history at the lake. Her family first visited in the 1970s after they relocated to Virginia from Michigan. A search for the perfect spot for waterfront camping led them to Smith Mountain Lake. More than 30 years later, Linda and her husband, Tom, continue sharing their love of the lake with new generations of friends and family.

“This is where I learned to sail,” says Strup. “Our kids grew up here. They gave up playing summer sports so they could spend more time at the lake. We taught our friends and family how to water-ski here. One of our sons proposed to his now wife at the lake.”

In 2009, when both of their sons were engaged, the Strups began looking for a larger home to accommodate their growing family, which now includes three grandchildren and a fourth on the way. Though they initially did not want to build, they turned to builder and designer—and now friend—John Brock to help them create a comfortable, casual, family-friendly home at the lake.

“Our priorities were for the home to be comfortable and casual,” says Strup. “We wanted a lake house, not a showpiece. This is a house for living. We chose fabrics you can sit on with wet bathing suits.”

Natural materials and colors of the lake—blues, greens and taupes—enhance the casual, comfortable feel the couple was after. The main floor, built around a show-stopping stone fireplace, is open and flows from the living room to the dining room and into the kitchen. And no matter where you’re standing, you have a spectacular view of the lake thanks to tall windows and French doors along the rear of the house, allowing tons of natural light into the space.

The more than 5,000-square-foot home includes five bedrooms, four full bathrooms and two half bathrooms, giving them plenty of space for their entire family, all four generations. Keeping in mind the needs of their various family members, the Strups put great thought and attention into the different rooms in the house, specifically the bedrooms. The main-floor guest bedroom and bath are handicap-accessible for Linda’s parents with extra-wide doorframes, four-foot wide hallways and a walk-in shower.